QuickBooks Windows vs. Mac: What’s the difference?

If you’ve switched from QuickBooks for Windows to QuickBooks for Mac, you’ve probably noticed some differences. QuickBooks for Mac is built as a Mac product from the ground up, so the interface elements will be familiar if you’ve used other Mac applications. If you’re used to using keyboard shortcuts, they will be different on the Mac. See our article for a complete list of shortcuts on the Mac.

Two things to keep in mind when using QuickBooks for Mac.

QuickBooks for Mac is generally best for a business with 1-10 employees.

If you have advanced inventory needs, QuickBooks for Mac is probably not for you.

The biggest difference between the two products is in the feature set. Here is a summary of the differences.

Converting your company file

Because QuickBooks for Mac does not have all the features of its Windows counterpart, not all data converts when you move your company file from Windows. See our article on opening your company file on your Mac for a complete list of data that does and does not convert from QuickBooks for Windows.

Features

Here are some of the biggest differences between QuickBooks for Mac and Windows:

No Accountant’s Copy. You can share your QuickBooks for Mac file with your accountant, but you won’t be able to continue work in it. To find out how to do this, search for “roundtrip” in online Help.

Online payroll. QuickBooks for Mac exchanges data with the online QuickBooks Payroll for Mac service. Payroll is not part of QuickBooks for Mac as it is on Windows.

Limited 3rd party app integration. Any applications that rely on the QuickBooks SDK, WebConnector, or App Center to access QuickBooks data will not integrate with QuickBooks for Mac.

Price levels. Price levels make it easy to change the prices of many items at once, for example to discount all your items during a sale.

Premier and Enterprise versions. There’s only one version of QuickBooks for Mac.

Inventory. QuickBooks for Mac does not have units of measure or assembly items.

Shelly King works for Intuit as a member of the QuickBooks for Mac team. She’s the Managing Editor for Little Square and its main contributor. Shelly grew up in the South until 1994 when the Internet called her to Silicon Valley. She’s done a lot on the web ever since. Little Square was her idea. Yep, it’s all her fault. See all of Shelly’s articles